Bars in Old World Third Street area continue to thrive despite new competition from Bucks entertainment plaza

Major Goolsby's has been open for 47 years as a popular sports bar.(Photo: Grace Connatser / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Deer District scene was ramping up with excitement Wednesday in the run-up to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

While the Fiserv Forum plaza is abuzz with thousands of Bucks and Raptors fans, others continue to stick to the traditional bars that have been around for much longer on Old World Third Street and nearby areas. Many are excited by what’s new to downtown, but they also feel they can’t abandon what they’ve been doing for years.

Ellie Hardina, a longtime Bucks fan, said she and her family will watch the game from the Deer District, but she had to make a stop in at Milwaukee Brat House first.

“This is one of my favorite spots (to go to) before any sporting event,” Hardina said. "I come here before Brewers games, I’ve taken the Packers tailgate bus, so I just like this spot.”

Several bar managers on Old World Third Street and surrounding streets have said that despite the new competition, the increased foot traffic has actually helped their own business, not hurt it. Joseph Conforti, the general manager of Milwaukee Brat House, said although he’s expecting a lot of regulars, he’s also looking forward to welcoming new customers.

“It draws people downtown,” Conforti said. “People are coming out and just trying to check everything out. If they haven’t been in our establishment before, maybe that’s helping bring new people in as well.”

Major Goolsby’s has stood at the corner of North Phillips and West Kilbourn avenues for 47 years, serving as one of Milwaukee’s most popular sports bars. General manager Marty Petricca started out bartending about 20 years ago, and now as manager, he holds firm that Major Goolsby’s continues to be a unique place to be during a Bucks game.

“Everyone that comes in … the one thing that they say is the service and the atmosphere that we provide is the reason they keep coming back year after year or game after game,” Petricca said. “We have old paraphernalia on the walls. … We have 56 TVs. … Certain things like that that people come back for.”

The Bucks haven’t gone this far in the Eastern Conference in about 20 years. In the 2000-'01 playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Charlotte Hornets, but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals. For many fans, it’s time to celebrate the new — and the old.

“We’ve been waiting for it for a long time,” Petricca said. “Everyone is super-excited about it. They want to be where the action is, so they come down here, watch the game and enjoy themselves.”

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